Merciful Release logos through the years?

THE place for your Sisters-related comments, questions and snippets of Sisters information. For those who do not know, The Sisters of Mercy are a rock'n'roll band. And a pop band. And an industrial groove machine. Or so they say. They make records. Lots of records, apparently. But not in your galaxy. They play concerts. Lots of concerts, actually. But you still cannot see them. So what's it all about, Alfie? This is one of the few tightly-moderated forums on Heartland, so please keep on-topic. All off-topic posts will either be moved or deleted. Chairman Bux is the editor and the editor's decision is final. Danke.
Post Reply
User avatar
Quiff Boy
Herr Administrator
Posts: 16795
Joined: 25 Jan 2002, 00:00
Location: Lurking and fixing
Contact:

The old head and star has seen a few variants over the years... stars, cogs, half cogs, etc

Also, it started as the logo for the record label, but over time become more of a band logo. (especially as there is no functioning MR record label anymore!)

Has anyone documented how the MR logo has evolved over the years? And when it stopped being a label logo and became a band logo, or even a tour logo?

It's a messy history, I suspect.

eg:
1981 - head and star v1
1982 - head and star v2
1998 - new head and cog
2013 - new head and half star
2016 - new head and half star with cog

or something like that? (I'm not saying those dates are correct btw - they're purely as an example)

Feels like something that could be added to the MR wiki page - https://sisterswiki.org/Merciful_Release

If anyone has the necessary knowledge and imagery to collate the info...?
What’s the difference between a buffalo and a bison?
User avatar
Quiff Boy
Herr Administrator
Posts: 16795
Joined: 25 Jan 2002, 00:00
Location: Lurking and fixing
Contact:

There's some stuff here:

https://sisterswiki.org/Band_History

But it doesn't feel like it's quite what I'm after.
What’s the difference between a buffalo and a bison?
User avatar
markfiend
goriller of form 3b
Posts: 21181
Joined: 11 Nov 2003, 10:55
Location: st custards
Contact:

There was a thread somewhere with a load of t-shirts through the ages, that might help?

Or you could just go through all the records they've released. Oh, wait. ;D
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
—Bertrand Russell
User avatar
Quiff Boy
Herr Administrator
Posts: 16795
Joined: 25 Jan 2002, 00:00
Location: Lurking and fixing
Contact:

markfiend wrote: 13 Oct 2020, 13:04 There was a thread somewhere with a load of t-shirts through the ages, that might help?

Or you could just go through all the records they've released. Oh, wait. ;D
you see my dilemma? :lol:
What’s the difference between a buffalo and a bison?
User avatar
Scardwel
Slight Overbomber
Posts: 1096
Joined: 28 Jan 2002, 00:00
Location: York

There were loads of pics of Sisters shirts through the years in the old HL photo gallery.
User avatar
Quiff Boy
Herr Administrator
Posts: 16795
Joined: 25 Jan 2002, 00:00
Location: Lurking and fixing
Contact:

Scardwel wrote: 13 Oct 2020, 13:19 There were loads of pics of Sisters shirts through the years in the old HL photo gallery.
*sobs*

i have backups of the images, but not the gallery itself (which contained all the background info about the images)
What’s the difference between a buffalo and a bison?
User avatar
Scardwel
Slight Overbomber
Posts: 1096
Joined: 28 Jan 2002, 00:00
Location: York

I can't remember who made this but it was on FB a few months back.

Image
User avatar
markfiend
goriller of form 3b
Posts: 21181
Joined: 11 Nov 2003, 10:55
Location: st custards
Contact:

Scardwel wrote: 13 Oct 2020, 13:34 I can't remember who made this but it was on FB a few months back.

Image
That's the thing I was thinking of when I mentioned the t-shirt thread. Nice one.
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
—Bertrand Russell
User avatar
Quiff Boy
Herr Administrator
Posts: 16795
Joined: 25 Jan 2002, 00:00
Location: Lurking and fixing
Contact:

nice! thanks @Scardwel

from those, i guess we could say MR used:

v1) the original gray's anatomy head and star - 1981 - 1982

Image

v2) the slightly redrawn version of the original head and star - 1982 - 1994

Image

v3) the front-facing head and star (which was sometimes used with a cog around it) - 1994 - present

Image

which is still used on http://www.merciful-release.com/ to this day

and that all other variants belonged to the band, rather than the label?
What’s the difference between a buffalo and a bison?
User avatar
Quiff Boy
Herr Administrator
Posts: 16795
Joined: 25 Jan 2002, 00:00
Location: Lurking and fixing
Contact:

incidentally @Being645 the wiki page here may be wrong on the new logo's start date

https://sisterswiki.org/Band_History

the first usage of the newer front-facing head and star i found was on a La Costa Rasa album released on MR in 1994:

https://sisterswiki.org/Autopilot

Image

although this version does not have the cog, if that makes a difference to what we consider "the logo" to be? (personally i consider the head and star to be the logo, and the cog is just an element around the logo)
What’s the difference between a buffalo and a bison?
User avatar
Being645
Wiki Wizard
Posts: 15271
Joined: 09 Apr 2009, 12:54
Location: reconstruction status: whatever the f**k

@Quiff Boy
Thank you for the hint, I'll see to that.
Btw, the new logo has very often been used without that one arm on the right side, too.


EDIT:
done that , but I see the last part of that page is in want of a review as well ...
https://sisterswiki.org/Band_History
User avatar
ribbons69
Slight Overbomber
Posts: 1652
Joined: 24 Jan 2009, 12:57
Location: Somewhere, terrified of dying.

markfiend wrote: 13 Oct 2020, 13:04 There was a thread somewhere with a load of t-shirts through the ages, that might help?

I stopped maintaining my "Sisters wardrobe" thread after photobucket wanted paying for their service. The first shirt I remember having a cog was the Event Horizon one from 1998, and that was literally just a cog, no variation of Head and star.
"I've seen Andrew Eldritch in an ice hockey shirt onstage, and I've given him the benefit of the doubt"
Tom G Warrior of Celtic Frost




we fall to rise
User avatar
Planet Dave
Underneath the Rock
Posts: 6744
Joined: 22 Apr 2003, 23:51
Location: Where the streets fold round

Without wishing to in any way shape or form sound like a killjoy, I must say I don't see any evolving going on since the mid 90s change. I see the same logo with different bits missing, often on t-shirts that don't turn up for sale until a few dates into the tour, suggesting he decides which bit to take out this time about 5 minutes before leaving the house. Not always of course, the National Treasure shirt is, well, a national treasure, and for sure sometimes the doktored ( ;D ) logos look superb - Europe 2002 is a fave - but I don't see any evolution really. Still wtf do I know ;D
'What a heavy load Einstein must have had. Morons everywhere.'
User avatar
Quiff Boy
Herr Administrator
Posts: 16795
Joined: 25 Jan 2002, 00:00
Location: Lurking and fixing
Contact:

I think you're probably right on all counts @Planet Dave :lol:
What’s the difference between a buffalo and a bison?
User avatar
eastmidswhizzkid
Faster Than The Light Of Speed
Posts: 9876
Joined: 24 Mar 2005, 00:01
Location: WhizzWorld
Contact:

Am i the only one who thinks the "new" logo is p*ss-poor compared to the old one (82-94)? Because it is . :von:
Well I was handsome and I was strong
And I knew the words to every song.
"Did my singing please you?"
"No! The words you sang were wrong!"

:bat:
User avatar
Dan
Overbomber
Posts: 2014
Joined: 25 Sep 2002, 01:00
Location: Leeds

Yeah, the head from a different angle is awful, the original is still the best. I'm wondering if the next logo will be the head viewed from directly above, so just a circle,
User avatar
Swinnow
Overbomber
Posts: 3551
Joined: 15 Mar 2005, 08:51
Location: In the Gazebo Of Badness, just outside BD3

eastmidswhizzkid wrote: 20 Oct 2020, 04:08 Am i the only one who thinks the "new" logo is p*ss-poor compared to the old one (82-94)? Because it is . :von:
True mate, I'm sure it was just coincidence but it happened at the same time that all the football clubs 'modernised' their crests too. They were usually awful too.
....if I have to explain, then you'll never understand....
User avatar
czuczu
Overbomber
Posts: 2191
Joined: 24 Oct 2005, 14:11
Location: UK

It's gradually turning into this, which feels like a fair representation of where we are

Image
User avatar
Quiff Boy
Herr Administrator
Posts: 16795
Joined: 25 Jan 2002, 00:00
Location: Lurking and fixing
Contact:

Image
What’s the difference between a buffalo and a bison?
Post Reply